As a proud Duke alumna, there was never any doubt in my mind that I would consider Fuqua when I was thinking about pursuing an MBA. I had a wonderful experience during my four undergraduate years at Duke, with highlights from fellow students selflessly tutoring me the day before our organic chemistry final to road tripping to Indianapolis with a group of friends to cheer on our men’s basketball team in the championship game.

I knew that as I researched business schools that I wanted a similar community for my MBA experience. Throughout my interactions with Fuqua administrators, admissions, alumni, and current students, I felt that the team mentality, community dedication, and interdisciplinary academics I sought thrived at Fuqua.

In addition to the teamwork culture I was looking for, I wanted an MBA that would allow me to delve deeper into healthcare, an interest cultivated from undergraduate genetics research and my work experience since. Fuqua’s Health Sector Management (HSM) certificate program caught my eye. As the largest health industry program among top U.S. business schools, HSM offers a wide variety of interdisciplinary opportunities to learn from leading experts in the field, to partner with various healthcare institutions and companies, and to deeply explore current and future issues of the industry.

While I had a few years of work experience in retail pharmacy with Target Pharmacy and CVS Health (previously CVS Caremark), I felt that I had barely scratched the surface of the U.S. healthcare industry and was eager to learn more. I was excited to attend HSM bootcamp, a week-long crash course on the U.S. healthcare industry held the week before orientation. It covers at a high level different issues impacting payers (insurance companies), providers (doctors and hospitals), and other stakeholders. It was a very eye-opening and intense week filled with meeting other fellow Fuquans interested in healthcare and learning about experiences not only from the professors and speakers but also from my peers.

Now that I have been on campus for a couple months experiencing a small taste of what’s to come, I’m excited to embark on this two-year journey with Team Fuqua!